Saturday, February 27, 2010

I was so intrigued by The Fridge DC and Marshall Allen I had to share with you DC ROCKS readers. The Fridge DC is a new 8th Street SE (Capitol Hill) performance space, gallery and art school targeting low-income DC residents. That in itself is great news, but tonight's Marshall Allen and the Vertical Dogs show is the icing on the cake. It starts at 9 pm.

Marshall Allen is a world-class avant-garde saxophonist, among other things, who worked with Sun Ra. Born in 1924, his bio will wow you. He'll be playing with two well-known locals - Ashish Vayas (Thievery Corporation and more) and Jerry Busher (Fugazi and more.)

It's amazing what you can learn when you check out something new. I had never even heard of Marshall Allen and now I'm fascinated. To top it off, The Fridge DC notes that it's across the street from Matchbox at 516 8th Street SE and I didn't even know Matchbox had a place down there.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Musicians are very generous people as was once again proved last weekend when a crowd at Jackie's Back Room helped to raise over $3,000 for Haiti thanks to all the bands that donated their time and energy to the cause. A special thanks goes out to Glenn Kowalski, of 7 Door Sedan, who organized the event, plus co-owners Jackie Greenbaum and Patrick Higgens who donated the venue.

(Glenn Kowalski)

Plus it was a really fun party.

If you missed it last weekend, you can still get in on the action at another event this Saturday when King Soulwill be part of the "Songs of Hope for Haiti" benefit at Wallace Presbyterian Church in College Park, MD.Here's the scoop from the King Soul Headquarters;

"We're proud to be a part of this event, and we'll hit the stage at 7 p.m. for 4 or 5 songs. There are a bunch of great performers, and the donation is just $10. The concert will benefit the Global Orphan Project. This organization works with the United Nations and local hospitals to provide shelter, clothing, food, water and medical supplies to the many orphans in Haiti."Show starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Wallace Presbyterian Church, 3725 Metzerott Rd., College Park, MD.

Thank you, Stevie Wonder, for your concert at the Kennedy Center tonight which will benefit Washington DC's own Duke Ellington School of the Arts and include Ellington students playing on stage with you at your insistence.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Want to check out something different? Sol and Funk Root are playing at LA Bar in Arlington this Friday. Please support local bars and music! This show has no cover so you have nothing to lose. It'll be fun.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The people of Haiti still need your support, and you need a night of live music. So you see, Saturday night February 20 atJackie's Back Room works for everyone.

Join a long list of local legends playing unplugged (this night only!) and raising money for International Medical Alliance - Haiti Earthquake Relief.

As the weeks go by after a crisis, everybody's attention gets drawn back to their own daily concerns. But the need is, if anything, growing and new infusions of help are really critical right now. The suggested donation is $15 and all contributions above that are welcome. The line-up is as follows:

This is also a good chance to check out the Back Room space and don't forget you can dine at Jackie's restaurant, too. Jackie will be donating ten percent of the bar procedes as well so please- as Mark Noone would say- drink heavily.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Fat Tuesday is coming up fast - this Tuesday, as a matter fact which is February 16th, and even though we live in a land where it's "just Tuesday"- "neither by snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" shall a zydeco dance not happen at Glen Echowith Curly Taylor and Zydeco Trouble bringing a piece of Louisiana up here to Washington, D.C.( a.k.a. Ice Station Zebra.) Neither shall such storms keep King Soulfrom keeping its last minute appointed rounds on the same pancake eating evening at Iota in Clarendon- though the parade shall not cometh this year- the Soul man will prevail- early- first set at 8 p.m.

So come all of you who feel forlorn on Mardi Gras Day-you who have places to go and promises to keep if you so desire- snow or no snow. And if you are in the secret society who toast over the water, you know what it means to miss....

(Let them eat King Cake, and therefore also let them go forth and dance!)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Stuck at home with the kids just a few minutes too long this week? Well, don't despair yet. If you can get out to the Avalon Theater-the RTTS will be rocking the place this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. for the ten and under set (which includes kids of all ages.) The Avalon is a non profit, historic theater which the neighborhood was able to rescue when CVS knocked on the door, and the RTTS are an award winning band that hit #4 on XM radio. their annual show always has everyone dancing in the aisles. Tickets are just $7 and everybody wins.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

For a minute there, he had me. I was out shoveling snow (again) when here comes this big cheerful man in a bright red coat walking down my street. He smiles and greets me and keeps going, but then he's back because he is actually looking for me. Yesterday I called Verizon to report my land line was down, and they gave me a date of February 18th before they could come fix it. I couldn't even compute that far into the future. When???But wait, here's a field supervisor coming to tell me that I'm his priority customer.

Wow.

I'm getting ready to show him the downed line when he tells me, since I am a priority, and because I have lost internet service (does he read my blog?) that they are going transfer me to a different grid so I can get service right away.

Great.

In fact they are "migrating" a lot of their customers today-moving them to the new technology. He's also here to save me money.

Ought oh.

Yes, as he is confidently telling me about the great deal I can get bundling TV, long distance and reliable internet, my spirits sink. He's not here to help; he's here to SELL. I tell him I don't want cable I don't need long distance, and I already have a phone!

Now he realizes he can't save me money, but he counters with how long it's going to be before a service truck will get here, and I'm thinking this is really, really smart of Verizon. Get 'em while they're down.

How about they teach you how to fix the lines? I say.

Hahaha. He laughs backing away. I watch him go down the street and knock on my neighbor's door. Another unsuspecting "priority customer." Another chance at migration.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Mardi Gras is coming up this year on February 16, and even as Washington DC gets slugged with one snowstorm after another, there are a lot of musicians gearing up for a counter attack to bring on that Mardi Gras Mambo spirit. Don't forget Fat Tuesday is the LAST day of the carnival season, and if you haven't had a King cake yet, or donned a few beads, it's time to catch up.

Little Red And The Renegades will kick off the party this Friday night at Haydees in Mt Pleasant. Think of it as a chance to trade in your snow boots for dancing shoes. 9 p.m.